However different they are, the classic works of sociology all share the same fate. They are subjected to biased and selective readings and cast in a particular mould. The works of the founders of sociology, Max Weber, Emile Durkheim or Georg Simmel (to name but a few), are used highly selectively. Certain theories and themes are highlighted, interpreted in accordance with established stereotypes and, cobbled together in this way, passed on to the next generation of students (Merton 1981; Lepsius 1977, esp. p. 115).